Grader



June 26, 1923.

G. E. KETcHuM GRADER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 l Filed Dec. 31 1921 Mms z. o o l hw ww Jl., nl

N @weix m nd June 26, 1923. 1,460,022

G. E. KETcHuM GRADER Filed Dec. 31. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IHIHUIII 3u vento@ w George .'Ke'clz um.

/ 2 M 7'` annum;

June 26, 19,23.

G. E. KETCHUM GRADER Filed Dec. 31 1921 June 26, 1923.

G. E. KETCHUM' GRADER Filed Dec. s1, 1921 4 sheets-sheet V4 Patented .lune 26, i923.

u j El GEORGE E. KETGHUM, 0F MARCELINE, MISSOURI.

GRADER.

Application filed December 31, 1921. Serial No. 526,112.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Gnoncn E. KETCHUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marceline, in the county of Linn and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Graders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to scrapers and graders and has for its object the provision of a scraper or grader in which the parts may be readily disassembled to permit the loading of 'the machine onto a wagon for transportation from place to place. The invention seeks to provide a machine having the stated characteristics which may be easily put together or taken apart by one man and which, when in use, will be so arranged and braced as to effectually withstand the strain placed thereupon. The invention seeks further to provide a grader which may be readily reversed or set to turn the dirt to either side as may be desired and also to provide means whereby the rear end of the blade may be supported at any desired height so as to direct the loose dirt toward the center of the road. The invention also seeks to provide novel means whereby the blade may be secured at various angles and also to provide means whereby the lateral skidding of the machine will be minimized and generally entirely overcome. Other objects of the invention will appear incidentally in the course of the following description, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the claims following the detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a plan view of a grader embodying my present improvements and showing one adjustment of the same;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the blade adjusted to turn the dirt to the opposite side of the road from that toward which it will be turned by the adjustment shown in Fig. l; p

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a still further adjustment of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a side view;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the blade;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the means for adjusting the height of the rear end of the blade.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a blade comprising a central member l which is preferably a straight flat metal plate arranged on edge. At both the upper and lower edges of this central plate I provide the cutting plates 2 which are connected rigidly with the central plate by brackets 3 and 4 having their end portions flared so as to conform to the angular relation of the members l and 2' and firmly secured to the said members by bolts 5, as will be readily understood, whereby the said members will be held fiXedly in the proper relation. Either cutting member 2 may be used to act upon the surface of the ground and when the edge which has been in use becomes too dull for further service, the blade may be reversed and that edge which was formerly the upper member brought into active service. The brackets 3 have vertically disposed eyesv 6 projecting from their intermediate portions and other eyes or loops 7 are secured to the back of the blade between 'the brackets 3 and 4, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. A bracket 4 is provided at the center of the blade and also at each end thereof and these brackets are constructed with upper and lower rearwardly projecting arms or plates 8 in which are provided eyes or openings 9. I also employ a draft bar or tongue l0 through which power may be applied to draw the scraper over the road or surface which is to be reduced and this draft bar terminates in an arched portion 1l which extends over the blade,. as clearly shown, and terminates in a pin or cylindrical member l2 adapted to pass through the openings 9 in any of the arms 8. As shown clearly in the drawings and particularly in Fig. 4, the draft bar is provided with a forked portionl which is adapted to'pass above and below a draft beam 14 which is arranged in advance of the blade and defines an are having the central bracket 4 for its center. The draft beam 14 terminates in arched members l5 which rise over the blade and depend in rear of the same to engage in the openings 9 of the end brackets. Openings 1 6 are formed through the draftbeam 14 and alpin 17 is provided to pass through a similar opening in the draft bar 10 and in one of the openings 16 whereby'to hold the draft bar in any desired set position relative to thev blade.

`It will be readily seen 'that the draft bar may be pivotally yadjusted so as to assume various angular relations to the blade and be held iiilsaid position so that the blade may be're'adi'ly 'disposed at any'idesired angle to the line of travel.

drivers seat iS'is carried by a seat standard 19 which is supported upon a main carrying beam 20. The front extremity of this beam 2() is construeted te present upper and lower arms or plates 2l and 22 providedwith eyes which may register with the eyes9 in any one of the braekets 4, the said M1521 21194.22 engaging respectively abeve and below the arms'8 of the bracket, as clearly shown'inFig. 5. The pin l2 is inserted through the openings inthe several arms and thereby censtitutes a pivotal connection between the blade and the main beam, a lCotter pin or other retaining device 23 Abeing tted to the lower end of the pin 'so as to prevent its accidental.withdrawal under the. lifting actien which is imposed thereon in thense of the machine. The beam 20 may, 01u-'Course be a Si'igle'integral structureel' it may be in the form of a top Plate 24 and sdenlates 25 deieriding from the edgesfof thetop plate, the several plates being vrigidlyl bolted together'. The rear ends of the `side plates receive between them asupperting wheel 26 whichis carried by an axle' 2^( fitted in the extremities of said plates, and the rear end of the top plate 24 is vcarried upwardly and given an arcuate form, as shown'y at 2S, whereby to serve as a fenderor rguard to prevent persons falling upon", the wheel and also to prevent the dirt alidfriiiidI which. may be thrown up by the wheel' striking the driver upon'the seat 18. This wheel 2 6 is 'preferably a sharp edged disk adaptedfto take into` the ground and thereby furnish a support to `hold the blade to worland prevent lateral slriddingfof the machine.

A caster 29 is provided at the front end of the main carryingy beam 20 and this caster vis carried by thelower end of a yoke 30 which is swiveled upon the lower end of a standard 31 extendingsl'idably through the beam 2Q land pivoted atitsl upperv end to a hand lever 32. The portion of the beam 20, through which the standard or hanger 31 Passes's arched, as Shown. at 33, S0 as to` provide clearance for the movement of the caster'29, as it sways from side to side in followingthe movements of the blade.r The lever 32 isy fulcrumed its front end upon a post v34 rising. Yfrom the beam L() andv yal latch 35 ofthe usual form is provided upon the lever to cooperate with a holding rack 36 to maintain the lever yin a set pesition. The rackl 36'pas`ses'lthrough a loop or guide 37 upon the side of the lever 32 bild is pivoted atfits lowen end to a lug`38 upon the beam 2OI so that some'slight play of the rack will be permittediso asto avoidbinding of the.

part's,but` thisplay isso limited itwill includes a roller or wheel 40 which is revo` lubly mounted upon a pin or stud 4l projecting laterally from the lower arm 42 of a lever 43 which is pivotally attached to a bracket or arm 44 concentric with a rack 45 formed upon the rear edge of said bracket. The lever 43 is equipped with al latch46 adapted to cooperate with the rack 45 whereby to hold the wheel or roller 4Q at any def sired elevation so that the end of the blade will be held at the proper distance from the. surface of the ground. The braclret 44 is provided at its frontend with a vertically disposed sleeve or eye 47 which is adapted to fit between the arms 8 of any one of the brackets 4 and be held in such position by the cylindrical extremity of the arched member l5 whereby it will be swiveled t0 the blade and. will be permitted to oseillate freely in a. horizontal plane so as to always follow the line of draft. It will be readily understood that by properly adjusting thel lever 43 the heightrat which theroller will run'may be varied and, consequently, the end of the blade to which the roller, is

attac-hed will be set closer to or farther from the surface ofthe 0Vround.

To `maintain the mainsupporting beam` 2Q in, fixed `angular relation to the blag'le when the machine is in use, l provide a removable braee 43 which is censtructed at its.

endswith depending pins orv'sjuds adapted to engage respectively in any of the oli' loops 6 or T'upon the blade and in any` one of openingsl :3Q fermed in the'top plate of the beam 20.` The angular relation the main beam to the blade will. consequently,

bc positively maintained while the machine is in use and it may be varied by shifting theY brace bar so as to effect engagement lie-` tween the same and any one of theloelps `(l or 7, as will be readily understood.

The more frequent disposition of the working` parts of the machine, is that shown. in Fig. l in which the main carrying beam is pivotally connectedy with the blade at thcA center of the same andthe blade is disposed so that its" forward end. or, cutting point will bc Aat the right of the line oftravcl, the sup porting wheel 40, being` arranged at' the left endof'the blade. ln this arrangement the parts. the bracev 48 engagedV in au opening 5() in the beam 20 between the seat standard and the archedv portion of the beam and its forwa rd end isl engaged inthat eye or` loep 7 which is lclose to` themendv bracket` 4.V The draft applied to,` the ma! chine will ybe transmitted in the direct line ofthe carrying beam se thatsidedraftolf the machine is practicallyeliminated. W'hen it is desired to vary the angular position of the blade, the result may be accomplished by shifting the brace bar 48 from one to the other side of the beam, as shown relatively in Figs. 1 and 2. In Fig. 2, it will also be noticed that the brace bar is engaged in an. eye or loop 6 nearer the center of the blade so that the blade is not disposed at as sharp anangle to the line of travel as shown in Fig. l. The angular `position of the blade shown in Fig. 2 will bc preferred over the position shown in F ig. l when the surface of the ground is comparatively soft and easily moved and it is not desired to cut a sharply defined ditch. lWhen the blade is shifted from the position shown in Fig. l to a position similar to that shown in Fig. 2, the roller 40 is, of course, shifted from one end of the blade to the opposite end thereof, and to accomplish this result it is necessary merely to lift the terminal of the draftmembei' l5 out of engagement with the sleeve 47 of the bracket 4.4:, whereupon said bracket may be withdrawn from between the arms S and carried to the opposite end of the blade and engaged between the arms 8 thereat. lt may be desirable at times, as when working upon hillsides, to have the main supporting beam disposed at some point of the blade other than the center' thereof, and such a position is shown in Fig. 3, in which the blade is arranged at a sharp angle to the line of travel and the main beam is arranged atthe right end of the blade, the brace bar 48 being correspondingly shifted and the roller i() being disposed at the rear left end of the blade. When the machine is to be moved from one point of use to another point of use, the roller 40 and the caster 29 may be shifted to their lowest positions, whereupon the blade will be supported in such position that its lower edge will not strike the ground and, consequently, the machine may be driven over a finished road without disturbing the same, the weight of the machine being borne by the roller 40, the caster 29 and the rear wheel or colter 26.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that l have provided a machine in which the angular position of the blade may be very easily varied. -When the blade is set for use, the parts will be as rigid and firm in operation as though positively bolted together. W hen the particular work in hand has been completed and it is desired to store the machine or transport it to another point of use, it may be very easily disassembled by one man. 'lhe brace bar 4S may be easily lifted from its engagement with the eyes or openings in which it is set, and ordinarily the ends of this brace bar will remain in their working positions without the use of cotter pins 'or other restraining devices. Such devices as will be used, however, will be easily removable so that the brace bar may be quickly detached when the machine is to be disassembled. In likemanner, the draft members ll and l5 may be detached from the" blade and from the main beam 2O and the bracket le so that these parts may be readily loaded into a wagon. As the removal of the draft bars will release the bracket e4 and the main beam 2O from the blade, the blade may then be loaded into a wagon, and as my machine is intended more particularly for light work whichconstitutes the greater part of road grading, the blade may be easilyhandied `by one man. The seat standard 19 may be lifted from thc opening 50 in which it is engaged and by removing the pivot pin connecting the standard 3l with the hand lever 32, these parts will be separated so that the caster may be readily placed inthe Wagon. To further lighten the main beam when necessary, ,therear wheel 26 maybe removed therefrom and thehand lever as Well as the rack 36 may be removed so that 'the entire work of disassembling the machine maybe performed by one man and likewise the machine may be adjusted for use by one man.

Having thus described the invention, Whatis claimed as new is:

l. A grader comprising a blade, a main supporting beam extending rearwardly from the blade and having a detachable pivotal connection therewith, and a plurality of draft members extending from the blade and having detachable pivotal connection with the same, one of said draft members constituting the connection between the blade and the main supporting beam.

2. A grader comprising a blade, a main supporting` beam extending rearwardly from the blade and having detachable pivotal connection therewith, vertically extending loops on the rear side of the blade, and a brace bar having one end detachably engaged with the said beam and its opposite end engaged in one of the loops on the rear side of the blade.

A grader comprising a blade having a plurality of brackets on its rear side, each 'of said brackets beingl provided with .rearwardly projecting arms, a main supporting beam provided at its front end with arms adapted to mate with the arms of any one ofsaid brackets, and a draft member provided with a terminal pivotally engaged in the Said mating arms.

a. In a grader, the combination of a blade, a plurality of brackets secured upon the rear side of the blade and provided with rearwardly projecting portions having openings vertically therethrough, draft members having` terminals adapted to engage some of said openings, a main supporting beam having its front end adapted to register with any one of said brackets and be held thereto by the draft member engaging the same, rolling supports mounted on said main beam, and a brace bar having one end engaged in one of a roller carried by said angle levera rack on the said bracket, and a latch on the lever n adapted to cooperate with said rack.A

6. ln a grader, the oombinationof ablade, a main supporting beam having its front end pivotally connected With the rear side of the blade and provideddwith an arched portion immediately in rear of the pivotal connection, a standard slidably fitted through said arched portion ofthe beam, a caster carried by the lower end of said standard, a hand levervpivoted tothe upper end of saidtstandf arda post onthe beam upon which the said lever is fulcrumed, a rack rising from the beam, and a latch mounted upon the lever to engage said'raek;

7. In a` grader, the combination of a blade, brackets secured on therear sideof the blade at the center and ends of the same\a draft bar passing over the blade and having a terl minal pivotally engaged in they bracket at the center of the same, said bar having a horizontally forked portion in advance of' the blade, an arcuate draft beam passing through the forked portion of the draft bar and hav- I ing its ends passingA over the blade and-'pivotally engaged in the brackets at the ends thereof, the draft having, a plurality. of vertical openings therethrough, and a locking pin engageable through the drafttbar and in one of said openings.`

Intestimony whereofl afix my signature.

GEORGE Karol-HJM. [La] 

